Multicolor-printing press.



0. ROESEN.

MULTIGOLOR PRINTING PRESS.

AgPLIoATIoN FILED 111111.13, 1911.

Patented Jan. 27, 1914.

4 SEBETS-BHBET 1.

0; ROESBN. MULTIGOLOR PRINTING PRESS. APPLIOATION FILED MARL13, 1911.

21,085,224. Patented Jan. 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

eine@ we NZZ/7".'

0. ROESEN.

MULTIUOLOR PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.13,1911.

Patented Jan. 27, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

0. ROESEN.

MULTIGoLoR PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED MAB..13, 1911.

Patented Jan. 27, 1914 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WWTF@ STATE@ PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR ROESEN. OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO R. HOE AND CO., OF NEV YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patent ed Jan. 2, 1914.

' i Application filed March 13, 1911. Serial No. 614,052.

Ie it known that l. ()sc.\n Borsten'. a citizen ot' the llnited States. residingr at New York. county ot New York. and State of New York. have invented certain new and uset'ul improvements in Multicolor-Printing `Presses. fully described-uml represented in thelt'ollowing specification and the accompanying drawings. forming a part ot` the same.

The object ot the present invention is to provide an improved multicolor printing press. by which the required number ot' colors shall be printed with the desired intei 'al ot' time between the color impressions to let the ink of one color set before the next color is printed. and which shall be simple and compact in construction. and more satisfactory in operation than previous presses of this class. This result secured by the use ot :in impression cylinder with av series of printing cylinders corresponding to the number ot' colors to be printed, and operating the impression and printing cylinders so that the sheet is printed upon by the successive printing cvlinders during ditterent rotations ol the impression cylinder. the cylinder mak-ing one or more rotations between successive in'ipressions on a sheet. and the printing cylinders are withdrawn trom printing contact with the sheetl except on that rotation ot' the impression cylinder dui'- ing which they print the sheet. The impression cylinder is preferably divided into impression surfaces or sections for carrying a plurality ot' sheets. which impression surfaces or sections are provided with sheetholding devices operating to hold the sheet through the successive impressionsand then release the printed sheets Jfor delivery. The printing eyli `ders are. preterably transfer' cylinders printing by transfer t'rom a plate evlinder. as usual in tanster printing, so aS to avoid make ready. but the broader features olE the invention may be used with any other suitable printing method. An offset web device or other drying means is preferably used to blot and dry the colors between impressions. The sheets are preferably fed to the successive impression surfaces ot' the impression cylinder on successive rotations of the impression cylinder and delivered there't'roin on successive rotations. important advantages in the operation ot the press being thus secured. but the sheets may befed to all impression surfaces on one rotation and delivered on another rotation after the printing ot' all the sheets is completed within the broader features oit' the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part ot' this specification there are shown for purpose otl illustration transfer presses enibodying all the features et the invention in pre'terred t'ornis, and these construct-ions will now be described in detail, and the features forming the invention then specifically pointed out in the claims. i

In the drawing :-Figure l is a diagrammatic vertical section of a press for printing tour colors, with an impression cylinder having three impression surfaces or sections. Fig. Q is an end elevation looking to the left; in Fig. 1, on a larger-scale, partly broken away to omit the sheet. gripper operating cani and devices. Fig. f3 is a detail side elevation of the sheetgripper operating devices. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of the saine. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. l showing a press for printing Afouil colors with an impression cylinder having four impression surfaces or sections and arranged for 'feeding and delivering the. sheets from the successive surfaces on thc .saine rotation.

Referring now especially to the construction shown in Figs. l to 3, A. is the impression cylinder having three impression siii'- Vtaces or sect-ions. ll. 3, and B', BB, B4 the four color printing cylinders, each printing cylinder having its corresponding plate. cylinder C, C, C3. C". The printing cylinders in the forni shown are provided with suitable transt'cr surfaces, such as rubber blankets 10. stretched thereon. and the plate cylinders (l carry the usual aluminum or similar plates ll Vt'or planographic printing and the plate cylindersl are shown as having the usual dainpening and inking mechanisms l2, 13 which may be ot' any suitable form. Each of the impression surfaces or sections l. 2, is provided with a set ol sheet `grippers u., to which the sheets are ted troni vl'eed boards D, and from which the sheets are delivered to delivery roll E and lly F Qt any common ork suitable lorm. Between the printing cylinder B* and the delivery cylin der .E is an offset web device having the usual otl'set rolls G, G and oil'set web H to aid in the drying process but other drying .devices maybe used tor this purpose, such as hot air, chemicals. cold air, powder, etc., or the press may be used without such drying devices.

lll)

scribed, are

2,3 an impression surface of the impression cylinto contact with the plate cylinder for renext rotation of the impression cylinder.

suitable gearing n5o As shown, the impression from the same 6o these gears being proportioned so as to-senow being described, are operated succesln the form of press shown and now being described, the impression cylinder, printing cylinders, and plate cylinders are geared together 'in train, so as to rotate continuously at the saine surface speed, with the impression cylinder making one rotation between impressions on a sheet, and the plate cylinders are moved toward and away from the impression cylinder to bring them into and out of printing Contact with the impression I surfaces and toward and from the plate cyl- 1 inders to receive an impression for transfer, l without stopping any of the cylinders. F or this purpose the printing cylinders B, B?, B3, B4 are mounted in eccentric bearings 15, l which eccentrics are shifted by links 16 connected to arms 17 on roc-k shafts 1S operated g b v cani arms 19 from cams 20 mounted on shaft 21 of the impression cylinder. These rams, in the construction now being dei formed to make one rotation to each one and one third rotation of the impression cylinder, and for each cam to hold its printing cylinder in printing contact with inder during printing or about one 'third of the rotation of the impression cylinder, then to move the printing cylinder away from and out of printing contact with the impression cylinder but not into contact with its plate cylinder and hold it in such inter# mediate position during somewhat more than one half of the impression cylinder rotation, then to move the printing cylinder ceiving an impression, and then to return the printing cylinder into printing Contact with the impression cylinder for printing another sheet on the next impression surface on the l i"ne cams 20 are shown as formed in pairs on opposite sides of cam disks 22 mounted Voli the shaft 21 at opposite sides of the press frame, and these cam disks 22 are driven by to make one rotation to each one and one third rotation of the impression cylinder A so that each printing cylinder co-acts at successivev rotations with the successive impression surfaces 1, 2, 3. cylinder A is driven from main driving shaft 23 by a. train of gears 24, the last gear engaging with gear 25 on impression shaft 21,.and the cam disk 22 on the gear side of the press is driven shaft through 'the first tpfo gears 24, gear 26 on the shaft of the second gear 24, intermediates 27 and gear 28 on the cam disk, and the cam disk on the opposite side of the press by a similar train of gears,

cure the desired timing of the cam disks relatively to the impression cylinder, as shown in Fig. 1.

The sheet grippers a in the construction I and out by cam d through'arm 35 sively on different rotations of the impression cylinder, each gripper being operated to take a sheet, hold it during four rotations of the im ression cylinder for printing with the four colors and then deliver the printed sheet. For this operation any suitable gripper operating devices may be used so as to operate the cylinder grippers a, sheet stops Z and sheet grippers c of delivery roll E to secure the proper receipt of sheets by the cylinder Afstand their proper transfer' to roll E for delivery. In the construction illustrated, a single cam disk I is used which carries a feeding cam d and delivery cam e, this cam disk l being geared to make one rotation to each one and one-third rotation of the impression cylinder A, and the cams d', n thus being operated to open the grippers n .to deliver a printed sheet and take a new sheet upon each impression surface l, 2, 3` at each fourth rotation of the surface, and to thus operate the grippers of the three surfaces on successive rotations of the cam disk. The feeding cam (Z operates each of the grippers a, and sheet stops b as follows -The gripper shaft 29, which is spring pressed as usual to close the grippers a, carries an arm 30 having a slot in position to receive the inner end of a pin 31 mounted to slide in the frame and having at its outer end a slotted block 32 engaged by cam 33 carried by rock sleeve 34 mounted on a stud in the frame and rocked to move pinl31 in i on sleeve 34 carrying roll 4 engaglng cam d. sleeve 34a on the stud carrying sleeve 34 has arm 36, the outer end of which carries roll 4a and is connected' by link-37 to rock arm 38 on shaft 39 carrying sheet stops I).

Thus cam d by engagement. W1th roll 4 oper- 105 ates cam 33 at each rotation of the cam disk I to move the pin 31 inward into position to engage the slotin arm 30 on gripper shaft 29 on one of the impression surfacesl 1,- Q, 3 to close the grippers to seize a sheet 110.

and by engagement with roll 4a on arm 36 raises the sheet stops b for feeding a sheet l from feed-board D on each rotation of the cam disk I. The grippers a, are opened to deliver a sheet as followsz-The slot in arm 30 on gripper shaft 29 engages the inner endof the yin 40 similar tospin 31 and moved in an out by ,cam 41 on'rock sleeve 42 engaging'a slot in block 43 on pin ,40;

sleeve 42 being actuated by arm 44 carrying 12o roll 5 engaging cam e. Sleeve 42 carries also an arm 45 geared with arm 46 on rock shaft 47 mounted in the frame, which rock shaft carries cam 48 mounted to engage rock arm 49 on livery roll E, when the cam 48 is rocked outward by arm 46. The cam e thus moves pin 40 inward on each rotation of the cam e to engage arm`30 and rook Shaft29 to open the grippers a of one of the impression sur- Anoth er 100 shaft 50 of grippers o of des 125 sion cylinder. being thus printed successivciy iaoeeieea faces l. 2, for delivery of a printed s ieeif. and at the same time throng. arms if. to rocks cam 4S into position to open the grippers w to receive the sheet from grippers r1.. The gripper mechanism is of the now welll nowu tumbler type. and the form otI this mechanism not essential to the invention. so that a brief description of the operation will suiiiee. eferring to Fig. 3. the shaft 29 is shown in the position in which the grippers have been closed to seize a sheet on feed board. At the conclusion ot' the print ing operation, the pin i() is pushed into the path of the slotted bloc\r 32 on arm Z3() by the cam e. arm'aii and cam sil. and engages with the inner end of the slot` that the one next the cylinder center. As the pin it? is nearer the center ot' the cylinder than the shaft 29. its effect is to rotate. the shaft 29. and consequently the sheet grippers. through a predetermined angle. and so as' to open the gripiiers and release the sheet. ln this` operation the shaft 29 is rocked so that the outer cnd of the slot in block 3Q. that is. the end away from the cylinder center. ahead of shaft 99. `When the shaft 29 reaches the sheet-taking position. the leading and outer end of the slot. in arm f engages the pin 3l and. as pin 31 is farther from the cylinder center than shaft '29, the continued forward motion of the cylinder rotates-the shaft Q9 and grippers c of the cylinderthrough the same angle that sheet-releasing pin 40 has` turned them, thus restoring the partsl to the position shown in Fig. 3. and seizing the sheet.

'The operation of the press shown in Figs. l to 3. and above described will be understood from a brief description. The inr pression surfaces l. Q. 3 take sheets on suc cessive rotations of the impression cylinder. and cach impression surface holds its sheet so that it is printed with one color on each of four successive rotations of the impreshy printing cylinders B', B2. B, Pi", the printing` cylinders being held ont of printing contact Yith each surface during the rotation on whichthey do not print on such surface. and on4 thefourth rotation the impression surface delivers its printed sheet to delivery roll E,..and then at the begin ning of thi` titth rotation takes another sheet from feed board l) for printing. Sheets are thus taken on the impression surfaces l. Q.

printed by the respective printing cylinders li. B2, B. 'B4 on successive rotations of the inu'iression cylinder. and delivered. so that three sheets are thus printed and delivered at each four rotations of the impression eylinder. there being a full rotation between the'printing of successive colors on each impression surface. The cams operating to raise and lower the printing; cylinders. and to operate the sheet. grippers i malte three rotations to cach four rotations of the impresion cylinder. so that they are in proper position to operate in connection with cach of the three impression surfaces on each fourth rotation of such surface.

The construction above described. in which three impression surfaces are used. is preferred. when four colors are lobe printed, this mrangeinent providingfor printing sheets on allthe impression surfaces at every rotation of the impression cylinder. while at the same time securingn compact construction with a comparatively small impression cylinder. it tive colors vare to be primed. the preferred arrangement. for the same reasons. will be four innnession surfaces. and in general a number of impression surfaces one less than the number of` colors to be printed. It willbe understood. however. that any number of 4impression surfaces may `be used with any number of printing cylinders. suitable earns and timing of the various parts'being used to se'- cure the desired operation. lThus. if'it be desired `to increase the number of impression surfaces. in order to give more time for set-ting the colors between impressions, or for other reasons, the number of impression surfaces may be increased as desired. the numberof sheets taken and delivered in ai rotation. cycle of the impression cylinder 'arying according to the number of impresJ sion surfaces used and colors printed. lVith the construction illustrated. employing a simple rotating cam disk for the gripper-s and printing cyiinlcrs. the rotation in a cycle will be one more than the number of impressiiin surfaces used. Thus with four impression surfaces and printing four colors. four sheets will be delivered to each` tive rotations. and with tivel impressum surfaces printing fom' colors. tive sheets to six rotations. lu some cases. it may be desired to reduce the number of impression surt'aces below three. which will reduce the size of the press. hat. ot' course. only two sheets or one sheet will be taken. and delivered to. each four rotations of the impression cylinder, as the number of impression surfaces are reduced to two or one. suitable cam movements being used for such operation. lf more time. between colors he desired. which lnav be the case where a small cylinder is used, the press may readily he constructed for `two or more rotations between colors. instead of only one rotation. asl shown and above described. the operating devices being changed accordingly.

'l`hc construction and operation above de scribed. in which the successive impression surfaces take and deliver sheets on ilitlerent rotations ot' `the impressiini eylinderjhave many advantages over a construction in which the sheets are taifcn ou all the impressionsurfaces on the same rotation and delivered on the .same rotation, especially tion is simpler only one gripper is operated at each rotation, a very simpletransfer printing movementH may be used, and the plate cylinders and inking motions rotate several revolutions to each printing, so that a much simpler and more efficient inking motion is possible. The press may be constructed, however, so that the impression surfaces take sheets successively' on the same rotation, and deliver sheets successively on another rotation, within the invention considered broadly. and such a construction is illustrated in Fig. Referring to the constriu'tioinsliown in Fig. 5, the impression cylinder has four impression ,surfaces l, 2, 3, 4, on which sheets are taken snccessively'by sheet grippers 1L on one rotation. and from which the printed sheets are delivered successively on the fourth rotation thereafter. The cam mechanism for actuating grippers fl. f', and sheet stops 7) will he arranged in any suitable manner to secure this result, the single cani disk mechanism of Figs. l to 4, if used, being geared to make one rotation to four rotations of the impression cylinder. The printing cylinders li. B2. B3, B4 will he actuatedl so that each printing cylinder is in contact with and prints upon a sheet on each of the four impression surfaces during one rotation of the impression cylinder, and thenis raised out of printing Contact with the impression cylinder during three rotations of the cylinder and returned to printing position on the' next or fifth rotation to print another sheet on each of the impression surfaces. the printing cylinders i. B2. lr. 3*. being thus actuated successively so as to print a sheet on successive rotations of the impression cylinder. The rains and connections for moving the printing cylinders toward and from the impression cylinder are similar to those of Figs. l-

to et, except that the cams are timed to make one rotation to each four rot-ations of the impression cylinder and constructed to hold the printing c vlinders in printing Contact4 with the impression cylinders during onefourth of their rotation and out of printing contact with the cyliinlers during threefonrtlis of their rotation. This is illustrated' in connection with the cam for moving printing cylinder B in which the cam 5l for this printing cylinder is shown with its gearing arranged to drive. the cam at a rat-io of cne to four relatively to the impression cylinder, the gearing having the same references as in Figs. 1 to 4, and being the same, except as to the proportionate sizes of the' gears. The printing' cylinders B", B2, B3, BJJ obviously will be geared to make four rotations to each rotation of the impression cylinder so as to print on each of the four impressiony surfaces, and the cams moving the printing cylinders therefore will hold the printing cylinders out of printing contact with the impression cylinder during twelve rotations of the print-ing cylinders, and during these twelve rotations no transfer is made 'from the plate cylinders C, C2, C3, C4 to the printing cylinders, but the plate cylinders are in Contact with their respective printing cylinders and transfer thereto during the four printing rotations of the printing cylinders, and then are separated from the printing cylinders for twelve rotations. To secure this result the plate cylinders are mounted in eccentric hearings 6. and are operated by extensions T ofthe plate cylinder operating links i6. so as to more the plate cylinders and their inliing and inoistening mechanisms away from the printing cylinders on the outward movement of the printing cylinders and into contact with the. printing cylinders again on the inward movement of the latter. The plate cylinders, therefore, are moistened and inked during twelve rotations` without transfer and then transfer during four .successive rota/tions. The relative circumferential positions of the printing and plate cylinders are clearly shown in Fig. 5 and their operation will be. understood wit-hout further description.

The operation of the construction shown in Fig. 5 will be understood from the above without further description, it being understood that the impression cylinder A. takes four sheets on one rotation of the cylinder. each of these sheets is printed by cylinder B' on the tirst rotation, cylinder B2 on the second rotation, cylinder B3 on the third rotation and cylinder B4 on the fourth rota-` tion. and the sheets are then delivered on the fourth rotation printed in four colors, and this operation 4repeated on cach four rotations. In this construction it will be. understood, as in thev construction previotisly described, that the press may be arranged for two or more rotations between the printing of successive colors if more time between the successive impressions be desired, and that the number ofcolors and impression surfaces may be varied as desired.

The inventipn ena-bles the production of a` very simpl yand compact printing multicolor press in which any desired number of colors may be printed, and which, with a suitable number of impression surfaces, secures high capacity whileproviding the time required for setting of colors between impressions. A very efficient action of the press is secured, the sheets being held by the `same grippers through all the printing operations, thus securing the best conditions for absolute register, and the time between impressions from inder 'giving ample time" for the best inking the same prlnting cyl los tSO

ltary press shown, but that other printing lusing continuously rotating printing cylresults on the plate cylinders and the use of I simple inling mechanism. The use of a; transfer or planographic process for printf ing avoids all make ready and secures the proper conditions for printing each color on the sheet.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the transfer printing process, although this is preferred, especially in the arrangement illustrated in Figs. l to 4, nor to the particular construction of roprocesses may be used and the printing cylinders may be arranged on the rotary stop cylinder principle, stopping each pair of cylinders when it has printed, instead of inders, and that the broader features of the invention are applicable also with impression and printing surfaces not having a rotary movement.

` What I claim is l. In a multiple impression printing press, the combination with a series of printing surfaces, of an impression surface moving over the printing surfaces, and means for moving the impression surface and each of the printing surfaces toward and from each other for printing a sheet on the impression surface from the printing surfaces successively on different movements of the impression surface over the series of printing surfaces.

2. In a multiple impression printing press, the combination with a series of printing surfaces and an impression surface moving over the printing surfaces, of means for moving each of the printing surfaces into and out of printing contact with the impression surface independently of the other printing surfaces to print. a sheet on the impression surface from the successive printing surfaces on different movements ofthe impression surface over the series of printing surfaces.

l. In a multiple impression printing press, the combination with a rotating impression surface provided with sheet holding devices and a series of printing cylinders co-acting with said impression surface, of means for moving each of the printing cylinders toward and away from the impression surface to bring it into and out of printing contact with the impression surface for printing a sheet on the impression surface by the successive printing cylinders on different rotations ofthe im ression surface, and means for operating the sheet holding devices to hold the sheet on the impression surface during its ysuccessive printing rotations for printing the sheet by the series of printing cylinders. i

4. In a multiple impression printing press, the combination with an impression cylinder having a plurality cf impression surfaces, of a` series of print-ing cylinders co-acting with said impression surfaces, and means for moving each of said printing cylinders toward and away from the impression cylinder tobi-ing it into and out of printing contact with the successive printing surfaces for printing a sheet on the same impression surface by the successive printing Y cylinders on different rotations of the impression cylinder, and sheet holding devices arranged to hold the sheets during the rotations ofthe impression cylinder for printing a sheet by the series of printing cylinders.

5. In a multiple impression printing press, the combination with an impression cylinder having a plurality of impression surfaces, of a series of transfer printing cylinders c0- acting with the impression surfaces and plate cylinders co-acting with the transfer cylinders, means for moving the transfer cylinders away from the impression cylinder and into contact with the plate cylinders for receiving the transfer impression and toward the impression cylinder for printing sheets on successive impression surfaces on different rotations of the impression cylinder, and sheet holding devices arranged to hold the sheets on the same impression surface during the rotations of the impression cylinder for printing a sheet by the series of printing cylinders.

In a multiple impression printing press, the combination with an impression cylinder having a plurality of impression surfaces, of a series of printing cylinders co-acting with said impression surfaces, means for moving each of said printing cylinders toward and away from the impression cylinder to bring it into and out of printing contact with the successive printing surfaces for printing a sheet on the same impression surface by the successive printing cylinders on different rotations of the impression cylinder, sheet holding devices f or each impression surface, and means for actuating the sheet holding devices to take and deliver sheets by the successive printing surfaces on successive rotations of the impression cylinder and to hold the sheets during the rotations of the impression cylinder for print-ing by the series of printing cylinders.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OSCAR ROESEN. Witnesses:

JOHN GnirrrrHs, W. E. MASON Copies of t'lil potent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington. D. C 

